COMMON MISTAKES IN SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

There is no doubt that social media is one of the most straightforward and affordable channels for brands to connect with their target audience. However, many companies fail to see the expected results, as they usually get their social media marketing strategy wrong.

Any promotional and marketing activities initiated on social media can make or break your brand. To be successful, companies should spend a lot of time and effort formulating effective social media marketing strategies. At the same time, brands must also watch out for these common mistakes in social media marketing.

Mistake 1. Setting the wrong KPIs

When measuring Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for social media marketing, many tend to use vanity metrics as parameters. They measure the number of followers they acquire on social media platforms. This is the wrong way to measure effectiveness of a social media marketing strategy.

Instead, companies should measure the impact of the social media efforts on the business and audience. Social media marketing is no different from traditional marketing channels.

Mistake 2. Not engaging your audience

If you are constantly talking about yourself (or your brand) by hard-selling your product/service, your target audience will lose interest quickly and they are not going to stick around.

By doing this, it shows that your brand lack authenticity. In addition, posting boring content will not create a connection with your audience. The chances for potential customers to convert are very low. This may result in a loss of followers.

Therefore, you should develop content strategy with engagement in mind. Create content that resonates with your audience.

Mistake 3. Not responding to comments

Studies show that 70 percent of social media users are more likely to stick with a brand if they respond on social media.

Ignoring your followers’ comments may make them feel like they are not valued as customers. Thus, they will find another brand that will make them feel valued.

Social media is all about interaction. You should try your best to never leave a comment unanswered, even if it is just to react by liking it. Schedule 15 minutes every day to respond to any comments and questions on social media to increase engagement.

Mistake 4. Focusing on quantity over quality

If your goal is solely to gain more followers on social media, you are missing the entire point of social media marketing. The number of followers you have on social media means nothing if they are not converting into customers, and if your overall engagement rate is low.

You should focus on building an online community instead. The more engaged your community is, the more likely they will buy what you are selling.

Mistake 5. Not having a social media marketing plan

If you do not have a social media marketing strategy, posting content occasionally to reach out to more customers will not achieve your desired outcome. Social media marketing strategies are as important as the plans developed for traditional marketing campaigns.

Each company must have specific objectives, budgets and a concrete plan that defines how the objectives will be achieved, how the results will be measured, and what resources will be needed.